Jesus, Ron Paul, and the IRS

Taxes have been around for a long time. On the eve of the great American “tax day,” I would like to point out that Jesus and Ron Paul both have some interesting things to say about taxes.

Over 2000 years ago, political spies confronted Jesus with a “trick question” in an attempt to force him to speak “political heresy.”

“Is it lawful to pay taxes to Cesar (e.g. the IRS), or not?”

In our modern day, Ron Paul has spoken “political heresy” by suggesting that we eliminate the IRS. He has been confronted with similar questions, usually from media pundits echoing the thinking of the brainwashed American masses.

“How will we pay for government?”

The answers given by both Jesus and Ron Paul have been widely misunderstood. Asking to see a Roman coin, Jesus began his answer with a question.

“Whose likeness and inscription is this?”

The answer was easy: Caesar.

“Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

What is the core principle here? Ownership. It all boils down to the question, “Who owns me?” Whether you are a Christian and answer “God” or whether you are a humanist and answer “Myself,” in neither case is the answer “the government.”

Jesus pointed out that, even as the image of Caesar was stamped on Roman coins, the very image of God was stamped on His property, namely the people He created. Consequently, government has no legitimate claim upon the life of a man, which most clearly includes the fruit of his labor.

If you are a humanist and deny God’s ownership of man, I would expect that you even more vehemently deny that the government owns you. Consequently, the very concept of an “income tax” should be utterly repugnant to all self-respecting humanity, regardless of religious persuasion.

Like Jesus, Ron Paul, Champion of the Constitution, is also a strong opponent of government ownership of man.

“Accepting the principle behind both the income and the estate tax concedes the statist notion that the government owns the fruits of our labor, as well as our savings, and we are permitted by the politicians’ “generosity” to keep a certain percentage.” – Ron Paul, A Republic If You Can Keep It

Dr. Paul has battled this principle of self-ownership on several fronts, including the income tax, the right to life, and the evil of military conscription.

“A free society rejects all notions of involuntary servitude whether by draft or the confiscation of the fruits of our labor through the personal income tax.” – Ron Paul, In the Name of Patriotism

Are you a slave to the federal government? Does Washington own you? Whether or not you are willing to answer “Yes” to these questions, both Jesus and Ron Paul agree – if you pay a tax measured by the fruit of your labor – i.e. an “income tax” – you are acknowledging that the government owns you and can demand and take what it wants.